The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-02-17
SENATOR LANES LAND BILL

VI QOWl ullOoO VIM olO thS w uooSA u
their rights.
SENATOR LANES LAND BILL.
Introduced in the Senate January
Referred to the Commit
tee on Lands.
bill to be entitled an act to regulate the leasing
and sale of the Public Lands, Common school
Lands, University Lands, and the Deaf and
Ddmb, Blind Orphan and Luua,ic Asylum Lands
of the STATE of Texas, and to repea. all laws in
conflict herewith.
Section BE it enacted by the legisla-
ture of the state of Texas: That the pub
lie lands, common school lands, univer
sity lands, and the deaf and dumb, blind,
orphan and lunatic asylum lands of the
state of Texas, shall be divided into five
land districts, and numbered from one to
five, each containing as near as practisa-
BILE the same number of acres, the same
being divided into the most practical and
convenient manner.
Section 2-The governor Of Texas shall,
as soon as practical after this bill goes
into effect, appoint one agent of the state
of Texas to take charge of each of such
land districts, whose term of Office shall
expire at the will of tine governor.
Section st shall be the duty of each
of such agents to personally inspect each
and every section of land embraced i'll his
district, and classify the same as follows:
Into agricultural lands of the first and
second class, timbered lands of the first
and second class, grazing lands of the
first, second, third and fourth class.
Section All sections of land situated
near settlement or neighbor-
hood, or within ten miles or
less of some neighborhood school
house, church, store, gin or mill, which
contain as much as four hundred acres of
land of such a character as to admit of
cultivation. and capable of producing
good crops of corn, cotton, wheat or other
valuable farm products, and producing
good grass, shall be classed as first class
agricultural lands. All sections of land
not situated near any such settlement or
Neighborhood school house, church, store,
gin or mill, and containing as much as
four hundred acres of land capable of
producing good crops of corn, cot
ton, wheat or other valuable farm
products, shall be classed as agricu-
tural lands of the second class. All
sections of land not classed as
agricultural lands, and which are well GOV.
cred with timber, suitable to make good
lumber, and located within twenty miles
of railroad, shall be classed as timbered
lands of the first class. All sections of land
well covered with timber, and not classed
as agricultural or first class timbered
land, shall be classed as timbered land of
the second class. All sections of land not
classed as agricultural or timbered lands,
and having on them permanent water
accessible to stock, and having on
them good natural winter protection for
cattle and horses, and being we'll covered
with good grass, shall be classed as graz
| ing lands of the first class. All sections
of land not classed as agricultural, tim
bered or grazing lands of the first
class, and having on them permanent
water accessible to stock and being
well covered with good grass, shall
be classed as grazing lands of
the second class. All sections of
| land not classed as agricultural, timbered
or grazing lands of the first or second
class, and being well covered with good
grass, shall be classed as grazing land
| of the third class. All sections of
land not classed as agricultural, timbsred
or grazing lands of the first, second or
third class, shall be classed as grazing
lands of the fourth class.
Section 5-After each agent has elassi-
fed his district, as set forth in section a
of this act he shall report to the com
missioner Of the general land office of the
state of Texas the classification
which he has placed upon each section
of land in the district giving the num-
Der of each section as it appears from the
map furnished him by the commissioner
Of the general land office, which report
shall be duly sworn to before some officer
authorized by law to administer Oaths
Said report shall contain the statement
that he classified all lands in his district
in accordance with law, to the best of his
ability, and that he has personally in
spected each section so classified.
Section 6-When such reports are made
it shall be the duty of the commissioner
OF the general land Office to make record
of the classification made of each section
which record shall be kept in well bound
book kept exclusively for that purpose.
Section Each of such agents shall
give a bond with four or more good and
Sufficient sureties, payable to the COVER
nor of the state of Texas, and his sue
4 cessors in Office, in the sum of 100000,
CONDITIONED for the faithful performance
of his duties, and further conditioned that
he will, on the first day of each month,
nav to the treasurer of the state of Texas
all moneys in his hands belonging to said
state.y
Section SIT shall be the duty Of each
AGENT to lease the lands offered for lease,
and TO sell the lands offered for sale em-
braced in his district as fast as possible